Free Transport...the legal kind

"Sommos piligrimos"

So as much as I would like to think that I always just play the cards as they lie and improvize my entire life, truth be told, I´m probably a pretty organised (though some people maybe call my type of organisation "unorganisation") person. Every night when I get home (though my definition of home at the moment is slightly unclear)I get out my things and put them exactly in the place so that I´ll know where they are when I get up in the morning and have to get ready. On June 6, Dale and I set out on what will easily be the longest backpacking hiking trip I will have ever taken. This week´s cultural topic (which is a topic that will probably be elaborated on in further posts) is:

WALKING

So this is going to be hard to explain hypothetically, but I´ll do my best. The walk we are taking is what is known as the Way of St James/Jean/Jacques/Camino Santiago/Camino del Norte... and is essentially a pilgrimage to the alleged burial ground of St James (elder), cousin of Jesus Christ, in Santiago de Compostela.

The walk itself is expected to take anywhere from 35-40some days (plus rest days and ours will be broken up by the Sanfermin festival in Pamplona aka Running of the Bulls). People come from all over Europe and the world to walk the Camino in hopes of being enlightened by or finding miracles of something from the Saint. Faithful catholics and other christians alike flock to the cathedral to find the closest known existing connection to Jesus.

Now, I´m not going to lie and say I´m a big believer, but I´ll tell you that a fourty day hike is one hell of a walk. I´m in it for the fitness.

So, only two days in so far (three if you count our rest day which is today) we started our walk just out of the way in Biarritz, France, and after walking, on a totally improvised 18km route until for hours in the french heat, came to the border town of Hendaye to set up camp. For those who don´t know, also, the French (like most non-english countries in Europe) like to close things down around about 16h30, so that they don´t get too tired for the evening.

Next day, walked into Spain and carried on even further to posh coastal port town of San Sebastian. Too many details to go into, but the guide book we have sucks balls and has no maps. We got lost, yes. But as smart people do, you find your way back to the trail and then hike for about 20 more kilometers until around 23:30, because all towns leading up until that point don´t have anywhere to sleep. Silly, really. ¡Pero Bienvenudo en España! Hope the rest of the trip maintains this level of fun.

Anyway, rest days are sweet, so if you remember nothing else from this post than that, you should be fine. Oh, and also, if you stay organised, however that might be, you won´t have to sleep on the beach and then have the SWAT team kick you off.